This week, Gundagai’s famous Prince Alfred Bridge—the subject of poems, songs, and venue for many a photoshoot—has been demolished. The 125-year-old timber and iron bridge was built in the 1860s and finished in 1896.
The bridge loomed large over the town of Gundagai that is also home to the dog on the tuckerbox. The Prince Alfred Bridge has been closed to traffic since 1984 and has been left to deteriorate since. Parts of the bridge were removed earlier in 2021 after they were deemed a risk to public safety.
As you can see by the below drone footage, the bridge wasn’t in great condition.
Heritage listing was sought for the bridge, which would have saved it from this week’s destruction, but unfortunately, Crown Lands found the bridge to be “unfeasible to restore the timber road and continue to maintain it.”